Backcountry.com Newsletter Articles

Q: What would be the one "survival blanket" you would take with you on back country, backpacking/hiking adventure? Since you are carrying the load on your back, weight is a factor.

A: When you’re heading into the mountains on a backpacking adventure, you should always bring either a bivouac sack or tent and a sleeping bag appropriate for whatever seasonal temperature fluctuations you might encounter. On multi-day trips into the mountains, you don’t really need to bring a survival blanket. It’s tough to imagine a situation in which you would lose your sleeping bag, but not your survival blanket.

For a day of backcountry touring or ice climbing, you should always pack at least one Adventure Medical Kit Thermo-Lite Outdoor Bivy Sack. If your friend breaks a leg and can’t make it out, you’ll need to keep him or her warm while you ski out to get help. In this situation the Themo-Lite emergency bivy could save your friend's life if they need to stay outside overnight. I like Adventure Medical’s Thermo-Lite Bivy because it’s cheap, small, and I don’t even notice it in my pack.